Sixteen
Montagnards were handed over to Vietnamese officials on Friday after having
their asylum appeals rejected, despite initially refusing to leave due to fears
they would be persecuted upon return.

“All 16 returned
to their homeland at around 9 a.m. this morning,” said deputy Ratanakkiri
provincial police chief Chea Bunthoeun. The group — who initially told
authorities they would not leave Phnom Penh due to their fear of Vietnamese
authorities, but were told they had no choice — were repatriated with the
assistance of UNHCR, the U.N.’s refugee agency. The UNHCR did not respond to
requests for comment.

The Montagnards
claim to have escaped oppression — including rampant land grabbing — in
Vietnam’s Central Highlands for reasons that include practicing a form of
Christianity not sanctioned by Hanoi.

The group’s fears
of reprisals was amplified by the experiences of other Montagnards who said they
were subjected to widespread surveillance upon return, and two who said they
were forced to make TV confessions apologizing for their escape.

The latest
repatriation leaves 49 Montagnards in Phnom Penh waiting for their cases to be
heard at the Court of Appeal after their applications were rejected. Only three
Montagnards have received asylum this year.